All the way from the USA

I've only been to the USA once in my life; we went around 6 years ago, and it was to Harry Potter World in Florida. We didn't actually see many things outside of the theme park, and certainly didn't go to any shopping malls, so my American shopping experience is negligible. Happily, my dad sometimes has to go on business trips to the States, and this time, I was ready to wave goodbye to my money (once again) with a list of things to purchase.

 First is the Tarte Amazonian clay BB tinted moisturiser. I got the shade 'ivory' and it is a perfect colour match. The packaging is the most stunning thing I have ever seen or felt, and I can't tell you how happy I am to own this. The coverage is minimal, but it evens out skin tone, and has SPF20, which will be perfect in summer.  

Next is the Fresh Sugar lip treatment in 'tulip'. This product is pricey for what it is, but it is honestly so good. Just one swipe gives a non-streaky, lovely colour, and it is so hydrating. The packaging is also so classy, and I love the matte finish of the tube. 

Finally is the Formula X nail polish in 'moon glow'. I did think that this would be more opaque, but it is quite transluscent, and you need a lot of coats to make a colour. I think I would try layering this over another colour rather than by itself. It does a lovely iridescence, and the colour is very pretty.

Hope you enjoyed this little haul, do you have any favourite products from Sephora?
Love Lucy xxx

Brand Focus - Urban Outfitters

It's been a while since the last one of these, so I thought I would make another one, this time on the shop I probably spend the most time surfing the website of: Urban Outfitters.
I don't own nearly as many things as I would like from them, mainly because it is veryyy expensive. However, I do have a few things from there, all of which I am IN LOVE WITH. 

 I'll go in chronological order, starting with this jumper. I did actually write a blogpost about how much I loved this, right after when I bought it, but I think I deleted it because it was a bit cringeworthy... It is slightly cropped, but not very noticeably, especially if you are wearing leggings. The colour is a faded orangey/navy, and it has a vintagey quality that I love.

This top is probably my favourite thing from UO. I wore it so much last summer (not in a disgusting I-don't-wash-my-clothes kind of way...) and I'm sure I'll get loads of use out of it this year. The material is so light, and the elephant design is really unique.

This was from the Renewal Vintage section of the UO in Bluewater. There were loads of different designs and colours, and each one was unique. 

I ordered this jacket online (which I would definitely recommend btw, it was very speedy), and it was also from the Vintage section. I like to think I am very cool when I wear this (in my dreams) and the quality is amazing. They sell these in quite a few different shops, but UO do different colours, and for the quality, I think the price is worth it. 

This top is the most recent addition to the Urban Oufitters section of my wardrobe. It is a blue plain t-shirt with navy trims around the sleeves and neck. This is, in my opinion, an essential basic piece, and I can see myself wearing this a lot throughout spring and summer. 

I do also own a little gold midi ring with an arrow on it (similar here) which I bought in Westfield. However, I can't for the life of me find it, so you will just have to imagine it's beauty. 

Love Lucy xxx

Recent Purchases #3

So I may have accidentally bought some things...

Blue tee - £15 from Urban Outfitters - Ahh Urban Outfitters never fails to disappoint. Their new spring layout in the Oxford Street store was AMAZING, and I spent a very long time looking around. Me and my mum also discovered a very snazzy photo booth on the top floor, which if you are there, you should definitely check out.

Floaty knit top & blue tie dye top - £21 and £14 from Brandy Melville - If you ever get the chance to go to Brandy Melville, go. It has been slammed a lot for only having one size for everything, but my Mum found two cardigans she really liked, and I don't think she was quite the target customer. There isn't a very good UK website, so I can't link these clothes, but I love them a lot.

Love, Tanya - £12.99 from WHSmiths - This was a present from my brother, who knows I'm a massive Youtube fan. Tanya's book is full of great tips and stories about her life, and I can't wait to finish it.

Benefit Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow foundation - £26.50 from feelunique - I caved. I bought this foundation. And I love it. The shade is a teensy bit orangey, and I would have thought they would have more shades given what a big brand Benefit is. However, I love the feel on my skin, and I would definitely recommend it. 

Body Shop Seaweed cleanser - £8.50 from Body Shop - The scent of this is divine, and although it doesn't remove waterproof makeup that well, it definitely cleanses the skin pretty well. 

E45 Nourishing & Restoring hand cream - £3.99 from Boots - My hands get incredibly dry and disgusting in winter, and this has done an amazing job of moisturising them. Not much more to say. 

Love Lucy xxx

Photography | Anglesey Abbey

  Some more photography today, since it's been a while since the last one. My family went to Anglesey Abbey, which is a National Trust property, and I took these photos on my Dad's big DSLR camera. Hope you enjoy! xxx

Product Empties #2

  This is second empties post, and indeed it bears a lot of similarities to the last one. What can I say, I am a creature of habit. Sorry the picture quality is so bad, I had to take it on my phone instead of a camera. :(

L'Oreal EverRiche shampoo&conditioner - These were in the last empties too, and are consistent in their appearances because I like them a lot. I also tried the EverSleek conditioner, which I probably liked even more than the EverRiche, so if I was to repurchase, I would probably get the shampoo/conditioner of this one instead.

Snow fairy shower gel - This has been in my empties box practically since I posted the last one, and I actually bought it in 2013, but better late than never! There will definitely be another Snow Fairy in the next empties, because I received it again this Christmas. 

GHD heat protect spray - Not a huge amount to say about this, it protected my hair (at least I hope it did), but I probably won't repurchase because it is more expensive than most drugstore heat protectants. 

Bumble&bumble Straight shampoo - The most expensive shampoo I have ever and will ever buy. I will almost definitely not repurchase for this reason, not least because it didn't last very long (and I am stingy with my shampoo).

L'Oreal false lash telescopic mascara - I was very sad when I had to let this go, but it dried up completely and got very clumpy and disgusting. Sadly I think they have discontinued the waterproof version of this, so I have had to resort to different mascara. 

Collection illuminating touch concealer - Again a repeat from last time. Not a massive fan of this concealer (although you wouldn't guess it), because it provides almost no coverage, but given the price you can't really complain. 

Maybelline Dream matte mousse foundation - This, in my opinion, hardly counts to be classed as a foundation. I bought this probably 2 years ago, and it is in fact not empty, but the consistency has gone very strange and I am never going to use it again. 

Body Shop olive body butter - I got this in duty free, and on sale, so for a fraction of the original price. This was perhaps fortunate, because I wasn't a fan of the scent. 

H'suan wen sua hair mask - I reviewed this fully here.

Sanctuary instant hydrating toner - It took me a while to finish this, because I kept forgetting to use it. I wanted to finish it though, and I am at last through it. It leaves your face feeling very fresh, but takes a while to sink in. 

Bumble&bumble hairdresser's invisible oil mini - If it wasn't ridiculously expensive, I would definitely buy a full size of this. It is very weightless, and has a very pleasant scent. 

That's it for the empties! I can't believe its 2015 as I write this... Bye!!

Love Lucy xxx

Review | Soap&Glory Dr Spot

  I have very acne prone skin, and decided I would try and find a spot remover that actually worked. I alighted on Soap&Glory's Dr Spot. Soap&Glory is a very well known brand in the UK, and all the reviews I read said it was a miracle worker, so I thought I would try it out. 

  It is £8, so not the cheapest option, but it was a case of wanting to spend a little more for something really good, not be a cheapskate and get something rubbish. I have been using this for two weeks now, so I feel I am in a position to comment on how well it actually works. 

  It is a gel formula. You squeeze a little onto your finger and apply directly to the spot or breakout. The idea is that it lessens the appearance of the spot and speeds up the healing process. When you first apply the gel, it burns. And I mean it really burns. I have quite a few breakouts, so I had it on quite a few areas of my face, and it felt very VERY stingy. Not a very technical word, but that is how it felt. I was pleased, because it certainly felt like it was doing something. However, several days of twice-a-day application later and I had not seen much of an improvement. 

  I should probably have taken before/after pictures, if anything to show myself whether it has had an effect, because I couldn't really notice any, but to my eye, no change has taken place. 

  I was very disappointed, because the reviews raved about this, saying it was the best thing they had ever tried for spots. I however, especially given the price tag, would not recommend. 

If you have any good spot remover recommendations, comment down below, because I would really appreciate it!

Love Lucy xxx

Review + Swatches | Urban Decay Naked Basics palette

Up until recently, I had never owned an eyeshadow palette (apart from set of blue Maybelline shades I got when I was about 7). Then, for my recent birthday, after an unsuccessful attempt to buy it on a plane, I received the Urban Decay Naked Basics palette. This palette has been out for a while and got quite a lot of hype, which I can honestly say is totally well-founded. It is AMAZING. Seriously. I know it is getting a little late, but ASK FOR THIS FOR CHRISTMAS. It is all you will ever need, and I have literally used it every day for the last - almost - two months. 

It contains 5 matte shades and 1 satin finish one. L-R: Venus, Foxy, Walk of Shame, Naked 2, Faint, Crave. 

 I can honestly say I use every shade, and have already made a considerable dent in Foxy and Walk of Shame. 

Venus: A light cream shimmery colour, I use this for highlight on the brow bone and inner corners.

Foxy: A light yellow, good for using all over the eyelid.

Walk of Shame: Fleshy-toned, I use this for a base colour (to even out skin tone) or by itself all over the lid, for a more natural look.

Naked 2: A darker nude, good for a bit of shadow in the crease of the eyelid, or again by itself.

Faint: A plain matte brown. This is probably my least used shade, but I sometimes use it for liner along my lashline (see Crave)

Crave: Matte black. I take this on an angled brush and gently press it in all along my lashline, for a more smoky liner effect. 

So, as you might be able to tell, I love this palette very much. I will be posting again very soon!

Merry Christmas! Love Lucy xxx